CARR: Backcountry summer fun for everyone

Hop in, buckle up. Seal the windows with duct tape and crank the A/C all the way up to "Backcountry." If you've got kids at home for the summer, one great way to keep yourself cool is to get them the heck out of the house for a little while. Let's look at some fun options ---- not all of them just for kids.

Ramona band camp:
Ramona's Olive Peirce Middle School will hold its seventh annual Summer Band Camp from July 16 through 27 for elementary- and middle-school-age kids.

"Students meet for 90 minutes Monday through Friday and receive instruction aimed at improving their skills on the instrument of their choice, including flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bassoon, and oboe," said summer band director
Karl Lampe
. "They'll also be able to learn the fundamentals of percussion and even bass guitar, if they wish. We're especially proud of the fact that each student will receive at least 20 minutes of daily individual instruction from a trained tutor knowledgeable on his or her particular instrument."

As in years past, three sessions ---- beginning, intermediate, and advanced ---- take place at different times of the day. "And this year, we're adding a fourth session: Jazz Band," Lampe added.

The piece de resistance comes when the kids get to show off what they've learned with a public concert July 27 in the Ramona Oaks Community Park. "It's a great motivator for them, knowing that concert is coming," Lampe said.

Price for the two-week program is $65. Contact Lampe at klampe@ramonausd.net or 858-472-4185.

Ramona summer camp:
The Ramona Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp is already in full swing, but it's not too late to sign up. For $99 per week (Monday through Friday), kids ages 5 through 14 get a full day of summer fun and learning. Just a few of the activities featured: arts & crafts, sports, fitness and recreation, computers, cooking, and field trips every Tuesday to places like Knott's Soak City, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and IMAX, the USS Midway, and beach trips.

Call 760-788-7564 or visit www.sdyouth.org/daycamps.aspx, or sign up in person at 622 E St., Ramona.

"Attendees will learn fashion illustration techniques alongside friends and family or just on their own," the school's executive director,
Brigitte Schlemmer
, told me. "Each student will create their own clothing collection, enhanced through drawing, painting, and a variety of fabric materials, then learn how to apply various techniques to their collections. It's a very exciting process as students begin to see their designs come to life."

The workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 30 through Aug. 1. Cost for all three days is $155, materials included. Call 760-728-6383 to register. More info at www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org.

Monkey see ... :
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park (yes, it's time to stop calling it "The Wild Animal Park") has something brand-new called Jungle Ropes Safari that sounds like way too much fun just for kids ---- and, luckily, it's for the whole gang.

"Guests climb a rope path through what used to be our Australian rain forest, seeing the surrounding vistas through the canopy," said
Joy Wolf
, director of operations and guest experience for the San Diego Zoo. "The highest point is about 30 feet, which reveals incredible views of much of the park."

Your journey will test your mettle across 13 different "elements," including balancing on logs, walking a tightrope, navigating barrels, traversing a cargo net and a swinging rope bridge across a pit of molten lava ---- all while safely secured with a zipline harness, of course (and I lied about the lava, sorry).

Three different courses are available, each about an hour and costing $45 in addition to regular park admission. Jungle Ropes Safari begins July 20. More info at www.sdzsafaripark.org.